


Game Over.

by starlightsongs



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: :), M/M, Reflection, Self-Reflection, i love pain!!!, itaru thinks tsumugi is very Pog and it scares him just a bit, itatsumu gay btw, takes place right after ODP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightsongs/pseuds/starlightsongs
Summary: After all, a mere taste of victory was miles away from a perfect full combo.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Game Over.

“Otsu” Itaru called out as he signaled to the others from across the hall. He unlocked his door, staring at the state of his room. 

_Man, what a mess has this place become._

A disarray of files, blazers, scripts, video game cartridges, and empty soda bottles greeted him. If they could talk they would probably say words not too far off from the upside down smiley face emoji, begging to have their stamina restored or better yet - factory reset entirely. Normally the state of his immediate environment didn’t particularly bother him. After all, his humble abode served all of his shelter needs. It served its purposes: recharging his stamina and successfully activating his gamer’s high. But for some reason coming back here tonight unnerved him. It was the first of a few times in a while that… he actually didn’t want his day to end.

_“And with those powers, I made the princess mine for all eternity. Now that I have the Eye of the Abyss, there is nothing that can stand in my way! Bwahaha!”_

He was surprised at how compelled he had felt to turn the play into...whatever it ended up being. He could have just floated along and tried to match the script as it was written, only adlibbing when necessary. That certainly would’ve been the easier option - the one that would have let him take it easy while seeing where the puzzle pieces fit. Usually he would’ve opted for that anyways - the less effort, the better right? If he had just followed what others told him, he could scoot on by and then be in the clear to game in peace, right?

_“You fools! Even together, you are no match for me! Stand down, or prepare to meet your doom.”_

But then he had remembered how much fun he had being a nerd with Tsumugi a few days before. Acting alongside him felt like unlocking a new achievement. Sure, he had done a pretty good job of getting to know how to work with the Spring Troupe. After all he’d begin to see them as his sturdy, reliable guild - a team that he could always fall back on and work together with for any upcoming battle. It was a team that had taken trials to build that trust in, but he was now certain he could continue to fight alongside for life. No doubt about it, Itaru knew now that he could rely on them even for the most challenging levels. 

With Tsumugi it was different. They didn’t even have to discuss their plan of action with each other. Instantly, Tsumugi had figured out the room code before Itaru could even type it in the chat. It was unsettling - off-putting even - the way that within just a matter of seconds they were fighting for the same cause. If Itaru had to be honest, he was a bit creeped out by it, actually.

_“You’re doing a good job.”_

His praise... it was still something Itaru was trying to comprehend. He’d been praised before but it had always felt shallow and something that people said if for no other reason than to be polite. With Tsumugi it felt genuine. Respectful and honest.

_“I’m nothing compared to you, who can keep performing no matter how many different lives you have to juggle.”_

That comment still looped in the back of his head. Is this really how he appeared to him? Being able to excel at everything? It felt like he was just barely managing to keep up with doing what he wanted to do versus what he had to do. It was weird to hear these words from someone who was brave enough as to let go of his expected “way of being an adult” to follow his dream of acting. It was crazy how this guy managed to see into his Cloak of Transparency too - as he learned recently, he had sort of known how to act his entire life. Putting on a professional face and personality at work was second nature, which is maybe why acting didn’t seem to take a whole lot of effort for him. But the thing about acting was that he was expected to fully immerse himself to shift into the role at hand and to an extent, become someone else. However Tsumugi’s words... somehow seemed to encourage him that he could act more like himself. Any side of himself - as a dork or not a dork. Professional or not professional. Whatever he felt like being in that moment.

From his words to his actions, he felt comfortable around Tsumugi. He wanted to see him more, and to put on more ad libbed plays together. He wanted to talk to him about his life experiences, and he felt like he could open up more about his own too. If Itaru had to put this attachment into words… he just felt like if they ever had to take down a monster, they would know how to co-op. Tsumugi would understand which were the right supports and boosters that would strengthen their link skill and overall attack power. It didn’t matter if he didn’t play the game before or if the two of them ended up failing the mission, because the bigger part of the battle was being able to share it with someone you’d have that connection with for life.

Itaru stopped, taking a moment to look at the glowing computer screen that shone in front from the corner of his eye.

Right.

It took two people to agree to co-op with each other. Sure everything he felt was exciting and relieving but maybe Tsumugi was just being friendly. He still remembered his hesitation when he had asked if the two of them should go on the Ferris Wheel a few days back. Of course at the time Itaru had just asked it as a joke, but maybe Tsumugi took it as a serious advance and wasn’t particularly interested. Why would he be interested anyways? Itaru once overheard Tsumugi saying that he was too invested in acting to ever have the time to date. It wasn’t like Itaru himself had much time either - when his boss asked about taking a girl out, it felt like something he couldn’t handle right now. He was barely able to handle himself for crying out loud. Why would he drag someone else into his mess?

Ah.

Well, there was that familiar feeling again. The glowing screen looked more and more enticing now. It called to him, waiting for him to log on and destroy the competition that would get in his way.

Gaming meant he could tune out all of the little nagging voices that constantly haunted his head - questioning if he was living his life properly, or being responsible enough, or acting as someone his age should. In the gaming world it didn’t matter - you won or you lost, and that was that. Concrete, straightforward, and something he could excel at given he worked hard at it (...and spent enough money on it, though he didn’t like to admit to that). When he gamed he didn’t have to deal with feelings that he couldn’t understand. For what it was worth, he could just continue to pretend that they weren’t there at all. 

Perhaps one day he’d gather the courage to set things straight and try to ensure he was getting a good lead at this boss, but he knew deep down he wasn’t at the right rank to fight it yet. He needed time to collect materials. Time to dutifully fulfill his necessary side quests. Not to mention he was running pretty low on HP as is. 

After all, a mere taste of victory was miles away from a perfect full combo.

Itaru sat down, took a sip of his soda, and clicked “Game Start”.


End file.
